For any/all of the prompts you can choose to write about a separate idea instead, as long as it relates to the religion we covered that week.

WR 1: Reflect on an element from the Hinduism chapter in Huston Smith’s “The Worlds’ Religions”. Suggestions include writing about notions of karma and reincarnation, the four main yogas of Hinduism, and notions of divinity.

WR3: Reflect on the Buddhism chapter in the textbook. Suggestions include exploring the distinctions between different schools of Buddhism, or themes from the life of the Buddha that we learned about in the documentary shown in class.

WR4: After reading the chapter on Confucianism, explain some of the concepts from the chapter and from our discussion in class, specifically around the reason why Confucius’s ideas were a ‘middle way’ between the extremes of what Smith describes as the “Realist” school of politics and the “Mohist” way. Themes you could include are notions of what makes a good leader, what is needed for a society to function effectively, views of human nature, and why Confucianism as a religion focuses so much more on ideas of politics than most religions.

WR5: Discuss one of the concepts from the chapter on Taoism in Huston Smith’s book. Ideas to include could be notions of Yin and Yang, the origination of martial arts and Taoism, the distinctions Smith makes between different forms of Taoism, and Taoism and the healing arts.

WR8: Reflect on a theme from Christianity that we have covered during class. Suggested topics include the relation between Logos and the historical/mystical Christ, the story of Jesus' crucifixion and debates over its meaning, and the antagonism between Jesus and the Pharisees.

WR9: Look back over the semester. What new perspectives, topics, or ideas have you enjoyed learning about? How has (or hasn't) your perspective on religion changed, and why? Explain using specific evidence. Tell me what your current mindset on the purpose and meaning of religion is in human history and experience, using specific examples from topics and religions we have discussed this year.

HW: Reflection #2 due end of day in on-time boxAgenda:Pair-share discussion of Smith reading done over weekendSeminar on Q'sBegin research on subjects (Matt distributes) and bring what you learn to discuss tomorrow

HW: Finish reading Hinduism chapter in "World Religions"Weekly Reflection #2 due TUE @3:20PM, printed.Prompt: "What did you learn about Hinduism that stands out to you from this week? Ideas could include...the 4 yogas, Moksha, Reincarnation, Karma, views on pleasure and asceticism, etc...ideally, cite the Huston Smith text as evidence."

Write your weekly reflection (due Tuesday): Discuss the Joseph Campbell reading we did on Thursday and Friday, or the Theory of Knowledge discussion and journal we did on Tuesday. Or, write on a subject of your own.

Start of Class: Closed-eye assembly of mannequinDebrief: How did it feel to have to try and understand something without having all of your senses?Pair-share: How might the quest to assemble a mannequin without eyesight be a metaphor for attempts to understand and 'put together' an accurate picture of reality?Journal: Look at the "Ways of Knowing" handout. What ways of knowing do you prefer or prioritize? Which do you neglect or ignore? Do your preferred ways of knowing change over time depending on your experience and the surrounding environment? How?

Agenda:Journal on the following questions:a. What religious influences and backgrounds did you experience growing up? b. What religion do you know most about? Tell me what you know.c. What religion do you know least about? What do you want to learn about that religion?

Paseo (sharing our journals in a structured format) outside in the ampitheater